Ammonium-nitrate explosive



UNETED STATES PATENT oFFics.

JESSE B. BRONSTEIN AND CHARLES E. WALLER, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NORS T TROJAN POWDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW xonx.

No Drawing.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ESSE B. BRONSTEIN and CHARLES E. WALLER, citizens of the.

United States, and residents of Allentown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain-Improvements in Ammonium-Nitrate Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in explosives and more particularly to explosives containin ammonium nitrate.

In our U. S. atent 1,188,244: We have de-' scribed nitrostarch explosives, in which ammonium nitrate sensitized with T. N. T. is used as a substitute for part of the nitrostarch in. the explosive composition.

We have now discovered that a mixture of ammonium nitrate and T. N. T. or equivalent agent, in which the T. N. T. or equivalent agent is present in amount insuflicient to wholly sensitize the ammonium nitrate, is capable of detonation when admixed with a relatively small amount of a detonating agent, such as nitro starch, and that in this way an explosive is obtained which has particularly desirable properties for use in coal minin and for other uses where an explosive o comparatively low shattering power, but of high movig or heaving effect is desired.

.An explosive made according to the present invention is particularly desirable for mining coal, since it brings down the coal in lumps of the type and size that are most salable, and with a minimum production of fines.

In forming our explosive we first prepare a mixture of the ammoniumnitrate and trinitrotoluene, the trinitrotoluene being tion of the ammonium nitrate.

either simply mixed with the ammonium nitrate, or heated to its fusion point, so as to form a coating on the ammonium nitrate particles. Any equivalent agent, such as a nitro naphthalene or a nitro benzene, may be Specification of Letters Patent.

AMMONIUM-NITRATE EXPLOSIVE.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed February 5, 1920. Serial No. 356,478.

detonating agent such as nitrostarch, enough *pf the nitrostarch or equivalent material be- 1ng employed to reinforce the sensitizing agent already present with the ammonium nitrate sufiiciently to render the entire mixture explosive. The nitrostarch surrounds and partly coats the incompletely sensitized granules of ammonium nitrate in such a manner that the particles of nitrostarch remain substantially unmixed with the other elements, and they therefore form a substantially homogeneous ground mass capable of transmitting detonation, and of assisting in detonating the partially but incompletely sensitized granules of ammonium nitrate.

Thus, as inthe preferred forms of our invention, we may use ammonium nitrate partially sensitized with from four to eight per cent. of. trinitrotoluene or equivalent agent, and may add to from 80 to 90 parts,

As a specific example of our explosive the following formula is given Nitrostarch 15.0% Ammonium nitrate mixture 84.2% Zinc oxid .4=% Mineral oil 4% The comp sition of the ammonium nitrate mixture in above formula is 93% ammonium nitrate and 7% T. N. .T.

As a further example, and one in which a small amount of sodium nitrate is added in place of part of the ammonium nitrate mixture, the following is given:

NitIO-starch 15.0% Ammonium nitrate mixture 7 9.2%

The addition in the foregoing example of the sodium nitrate reduces correspondingly non explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and a nitro-hydrocarbon capable in sufficient quantity of sensitizing said nitrate, and sufficient of a detonating agent to render the entire mixture explosive.

3. An explosive comprising a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and an explosive material capable in sufficient quantity of sensitizing said nitrate, and sufficient of a nitrated carbo-hydrateto render the entire mixture explosive.

4. An explosive comprising a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and a nitro-hydrocarbon capable in sufficient quantity of sensitizing said nitrate,

and suflicient of a nitrated carbohydrate to render the entire mixture explosive.

5. An explosive comprising a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, and suflicient of a detonating agent to render the mixture explosive. I 7

6. An explosive comprising a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, and sufiicient nitrostarch to render the mixture explosive.

7 An explosive comprising a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and an explosive material capable in sufficient quantity of sensitizing said nitrate and sufiicient nitrostarch to render the entire mixture explosive.

8. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, said trinitrotoluene forming less than 10% of said mixture, and sufficient of a' detonating agent to render the mixture explosive.

9. An explosive comprising a mixture of 7 ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, said trinitrotoluene forming less than 10% of said mixture, and sufficient nitrostarch to render the mixture explosive.

10. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, said trinitrotoluene forming less than 10% of said mixture, and said mixture forming not less than of the finished explosive, and sufficient of adetonating agent to render the mixture explosive.

11. An explosive comprising a mixture of quantity 'of a detonating ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, less than 10% of the said mixture being trinitrotoluene, and suflicient nitrostarch to render the mixture explosive, said ammonium nitrate mixture forming not less than 70% of the finished explosive.

12. An explosive comprising 70 to 90 parts of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, said mixture containing less than 10% trinitrotoluene, and 10 to 20 parts nitrostarch. I

13. The process of forming an explosive which consists of preparing a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and an explosive material capable in sufficient quantity of sensitizing said nitrate,v

and admixing with said mixture a suflicient agent to render the entire mixture explosive.

14:. The process of forming an explosive which consists of preparing a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, and admixing with said mixture suflicient of a detonating agent to render the entire mixture explosive.

' 15. The process of forming an explosive which consists of preparing a substantially non-explosive'mixture of ammonium nitrate and an explosive material capable in sufficient quantity of sensitizing said nitrate and admixing with said mixture. a suflicient quantity of nitrostarch to render the entire mixture explosive.

16. The process of forming an explosive which consists of preparing a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, and admixing with said mixture suficient nitrostarch to render the entire mixture explosive.

17. The method of forming anexplosive which consists of incompletely sensitizing ammonium nitrate with trinitrotoluene, and adding sufficient nitrostarch to completely sensitize the entire mixture.

18. The method of forming an explosive which consists of incompletely sensitizing ammonium nitrate with a suitable sensitizing material, and adding sufficient of a detonating agent to tire mixture.

19. The method of forming an explosive,

which consists of coating particles of ammonium nitrate with sufiicient of sensitizing material to incompletely sensitizesaid nitrate, and admixing with said incompletely sensitized particles, suflicient of a detonating agent to completely sensitize the entire mass.

20. The method of forming an explosive which consists of coatin particles of ammonium nitrate with su cient trinitrotolueneto incompletely sensitive said nitrate, and admixing with said incompletely sensitized particles sufl'icient of a detonating agent to completely sensitize the entire mass.

completely sensitize the en- 21. The method of forming an explosive which consists of coating particles of ammonium nitrate with suflicient of a sensitiznon-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, heating said mixture to the fusion point of the trlnitrotoluene, and admixing with the resulting material; sufiicient of a detonating agent to render the entire mass explosive 24. The process of forming an explosive which consists of preparing a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and a sensitizing agent, heating the said mixture to the fusion point of said sensitiz ing agent, and admixing with the resultant material suflicient nitrostarch to render the entire mass explosive.

25. The process of forming an explosive which consists of preparing a substantially non-explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, heating said mixture to the fusion point of the trinitrotoluene, and admixing with the resultant material sufficient nitrostarch to render the entire mass explosive.

JESSE B. BRONSTEIN. CHARLES E. WALLER. 

